NHL Global Series

The NHL Global Series is a selection of National Hockey League (NHL) professional ice hockey games played overseas, usually in European countries where the sport is popular, such as Czechia, Germany, and Scandinavian countries.

The idea of playing certain games from the world's premier ice hockey league in different countries around the world allows global fans a chance to experience the sport's elite.

📜 NHL Global Series History

NHL teams have been playing overseas games for many years. From the 1930s to the early 1990s, the games were exhibition fixtures featuring an NHL team and an international team. Since 1992, there have been games between 2 NHL teams on international rinks.

After a break during the Coronavirus pandemic, the NHL Global Series returned to full strength with preseason games against clubs in the cities hosting the games – sometimes known as NHL Global Series Challenge matches - as well as regular season games where hockey lovers can see NHL teams come to town and battle it out!

💯 NHL Global Series Format & Scoring

In the NHL Global Series, some games are played as exhibition fixtures featuring an NHL team and an international team. In this case, they play a single game and they simply play for the opportunity to play in front of international fans and for the honour of the win.

Other games are part of the NHL regular season and between 2 NHL teams playing in an international venue. They play both a "home" and an "away" fixtures although they are both in a foreign arena. As in all regular season games, a win is 2 points; losing in overtime or a shootout is 1 point; and a loss in regulation time is 0 points. At the end of the regular season, the team that finishes with the most points in each division is crowned the division champion, and the league's overall leader wins the Presidents' Trophy.